College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

While I cannot comment on what freemasonry is like in India. In the UK in London and down south in portsmouth in the UK and also lon milo duquette comments Freemasonry is predominantly a group of christians with little understanding of their symbolic heritage. While in the UK you are free to be Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or whatever the only requirement is that you believe in a grand architect (a creating deity) and you believe in a moral code. The process involves making good men into better men through charity work and beyond that there is little spiritual improvement except in small groups like SRIA which is basically a rosicrucian movement. In the UK a person interested in joining SRIA must be a Trinitarian Christian (or at least claim to be) and they must be a Master Mason which usually takes over a year in a masonic lodge in the UK. I don't suppose that any of this is necessarily the case in India. But Lon Milo Duquette find that he is regarded by his fellow mason's as being too liberal in his politics and his interest seem too occult to them.

The AA on the other hand is a new Aeon organisation and in most lineages very little is taught person to person instead an individual is expected to study on their own through the grades of the golden dawn 0=0 to 4=7 before a person is even considered for admission to the AA. Most of this takes place through self study (under the supervision of someone in the AA) which is ALOT of work and ALOT of self control. They have examinations throughout the process in some lineages so that people unable to study cannot get in or ascend. There are a few initiations during this process but I've not yet heard of a group that does initiations at every grade.

Most of the AA lineages are in Europe and North America while the OTO is spread a little further there isn't a grand master in India right now but there was some discussion as to whether it could be set up. However as India is a large country it would not necessarily be near by you. I think if you spoke to a number of lineages of the AA and sent them signed forms with the student / probationer / neophyte oath then might consider allowing you to be initiated if you fly over for the initiations and consider relocating closer to other members of the AA in 5-7 years time when you reach the end of 4=7, they require this type of life devotion (but I must admit I've met members in the AA that don't appear show it).

I've met some people that guide themselves through an understanding of tantra and ceremonial magick which exhibit more comfort, confidence, knowledge and ability than those who study in groups but such people often study under yogis and reiki masters (real masters of japanese reiki not this western system where a person just calls themselves a master after three years of study) and are incredibly good at academic research, yoga and show a lot of self control. It's worth mentioning that these diamonds in the rough are few and far between.

You should absolutely buy books, study, and practice by yourself. There's no sense in denying yourself experience of the magical world simply because there's nobody there to guide you through. When Crowley first published the Equinox, he insisted on a very high standard of quality so that the books would hopefully survive the coming cataclysms he believed were coming. He felt it was important to preserve the teachings so that future generations could pick up the pieces and revive the tradition after the dust settled. That means that there is sufficient material in published sources to get you quite far, if you study it carefully and practice it regularly and attentively.

That being said, do I think it best to do so? Only in the interim. My magical education results from many years of solitary study and practice, and I'm sure I'd be a lot further along if I'd had a guide to help me avoid many of the pitfalls and distractions which have befallen me. In any case, the A:.A:. sets the bar pretty high, so it would probably prove very advantageous to have some experience under your belt before beginning any formal work with them, the T.O.T., the C.O.T., or any other such group.

Also, beware that there is a lot that went unsaid in the published works of Crowley, the Golden Dawn, and numerous other sources. You may find that, when and if you begin work with the Order, the method your instructor teaches proves very different from what you develop on your own. As to if its better, that depends on your unique attunements, and the strength of your intuition to evolve magical rituals. Again, Crowley comes to mind; he once remarked that anyone with real aptitude for magick would find their own, crude rituals to be more effective than the highly polished rituals of others. (Of course, one must have a pretty good, deep understanding of magical formula in order to construct effective rituals, even crude ones, so it is wisest to practice with the highly polished rituals until one has sufficient understanding, or you'll never get anywhere.)

@kingofkings380 said

"whats the difference between temple of Thelema, A.A and O.T.O ?
can a foreigner join thelema ?(living outside US)"

Wow, hardly a simple question! As Visible Head of Temple of Thelema, former Deputy Grand Master of O.T.O., and author of the most widely consulted book on the A.'.A.'. anywhere, I'm not sure I could answer that in less than a few thousand words.

(That's aside from the fact that any answer I give would be turned by someone, somewhere on the Internet into some new political squabble 😆 . I'm too busy for one of those at the moment.)

And it doesn't serve you just to say that they are simply three different organizations.

You can read about Temple of Thelema here: helema.org/temple_of_thelema/index.html

I suggest, for a distincton between O.T.O. and A.'.A.'., we use Crowley's answer. Karl Germer asked him for an answer that could be given out, and A.C. wrote the following:

@666 said

"The difference between the A.'.A.'. and the O.T.O., is very clear and simple. The A.'.A.'. is a sempiternal institution, and entirely secret. There is no communication between its members. Theoretically, a member knows only the superior who introduced him, and any person whom he himself has introduced. The Order is run on purely spiritual lines.

The object of membership is also entirely simple. The first objective is the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. The next objective, omitting considerations for the present of the [6°=5°] and [7°=4°] degrees, is the crossing of the Abyss, and the attainment of mastership of the Temple. This is described very fully especially in Liber 418. Much less is written about the [5°=6°] degree, i.e., the Knowledge and Conversation, because it is too secret and individual. It is impossible to lay down conditions, or to describe the experiences involved in detail.

The O.T.O. has nothing to do with this, except that The Book of the Law and the Word of the Æon are essential principles of membership. In all other respects, it stands by itself as a body similar to Freemasonry, but involving acceptance of a social and economic system which is intended to put the world on its feet. There is also, of course, the secret of the IX° which is, so to say, the weapon which they may use to further these purposes.

To show you the difference, Theodore Reuss was Supreme Head of the O.T.O., but was not even a probationer in the A.'.A.'.."